Black Death Facts

sobota, 30. apríla 2011

Imagine waking up one morning to find your sister or brother complaining about a mild headache. Within five to six days, you are the only member alive in your family. Even worse, you are among the few left alive in the town. This was the story which repeated over and over again during the medieval Europe as Black Death, and completely ravaged the continent within a span of three short years.

Black Death facts have been mentioned in most of the regions across the globe since centuries. Black Death facts have literally been one of the most horrified pandemics since eternal history. The plague is believed to have made an appearance in the year 1348, and by 1350, the deadly disease had swept away thirty to sixty percent of the European population. The innocent European citizens approaching the fourteen century did know about the symptoms, causes of the bubonic plague and how it spreads, and this is what made Black Death facts more disastrous and devastating. Black Death facts literally triggered religious, social and economic changes in the continent.

According to the Black Death facts, black plague started off in China. Infected rodents and rats are believed to have passed the disease to insects and fleas that in turn passed it on to the humans. With absolute speediness, Black Death facts state that targeted victims passed away within mere hours of coming in contact with the illness. What started off like an epidemic, took the form of pandemics.

The reason due to which black plague was so named is that black boils would develop at the location of the glands. However, there were basically three types of plaques – septicemic, bubonic and pneumonic.

Bubonic plague was the most common plague associated with Black Death facts, and spread swiftly by way of rodents and flees. Lymph nodes in the groin, armpits and neck would swell up like the size of an apple or egg, would become dirty black in color and start to bleed. Symptoms similar to flu such as headache, vomiting, high fever, aching and nausea were associated. However, according to the Black Death facts many people are believed to have died without showing any such symptoms except swollen glands. You will be shocked to know but the mortality rate was as high as seventy five percent and victims surrendered to death within seventy two hours after coming in contact with the disease.

On the other hand, pneumonic plague was even more horrifying as it featured a mortality rate of ninety to ninety five percent, and victims were killed within forty eight hours. Lungs used to get filled with infectious fluid that made victims throw up blood and mucous.

However, deadliest among all was septicemic plague. The Black Death facts state that this form targeted the blood, and mortality rate was almost hundred percent. In addition, victims were known to pass away the same day the symptoms begin to show. The common symptoms were high fever accompanied with skin color turning into deep poisonous purple.

The most horrifying aspect of Black Death was the fear of helping the victims. Even coming in contact with the clothing of the victim was believed to be fatal. Scared people deserted their family members, including small children and aged parents. Abandoned victims laid dying on the roads and streets. A stench of death and corpses were everywhere. People started believing that the even the smell could spread the disease. As a result, people started carrying handkerchiefs filled with oils and herbs to their nose. It was in 1600s, when black plague endured slightly.